This invention relates to user input devices and view regions. More specifically, this invention relates to customized keyboards for receiving user inputs, and view regions for displaying information for the user in useful arrangements.
Much trading today involves some computer support, from simple information delivery to sophisticated trading systems that automate transactions of goods and services. In recent years, electronic trading systems have gained widespread acceptance for trading of a wide variety of items ranging from financial instruments (such as stocks, bonds, currency, futures, options, etc.) to household goods (such as old records, antiques, wines, etc.) As electronic trading becomes more popular, an increasing number of traders are in need of new systems and methods to enter trade commands in a quick, efficient, and accurate manner. In one method of electronic trading, bids and offers are submitted by traders to a trading system, those bids and offers are then displayed by the trading system to other traders, and the other traders may then respond to the bids and offers by submitting sell (or hit) or buy (or lift) commands to the system.
Many implementations of such methods of electronic trading, while generally accurate, lack in desired speed mainly because traders are forced to use both a standard keyboard and a pointing device to execute a trade. This dual process causes much delay for traders because the traders must follow several steps prior to accomplishing a trade. For example, many traders using typical trading systems are required to use a mouse to point on an issue of choice, click on it and use a PC keyboard to enter a price and size for the trade.
In other implementations of electronic trading methods, traders are forced to use a pointing device exclusively to execute trades. This process causes much delay for traders because the traders must sometimes follow even more steps prior to accomplishing a trade. For example, many traders using such trading systems are required to use a mouse to point on an issue of choice, and click on it in order to display a dialog box or window containing several other buttons that must be pressed with the mouse before a trade can be executed.
Not only do some of the aforementioned trading methods waste considerable amounts of valuable time, they additionally distract traders from focusing on market movements and other trades while they attempt to execute their trades. This may be because such traders have to interact with windows or dialog boxes containing buttons that enable them to enter trades while, at the same, paying close attention to market activity.
The benefit of using a keyboard is that a trader may execute a trade with more speed than with a mouse. For example, a trader may use all ten fingers with a keyboard, while with a mouse, the trader may use no more than two or three fingers. However, many trading professionals who frequently have large amounts of money at stake continue to use pointing devices that are considered easy to use, because they feel they are less likely to make unwarranted trading mistakes due to multiple key compressions and prefer to forgo speed and efficiency for peace of mind.
Therefore, there is a need for providing systems and methods that enable a trader to execute trades quickly, efficiently, and accurately using a customized keyboard.